Hello everyone!
Quick, shameless plug that my sister's fic is also updating! It's called Will of the Force by jennana501! She's a great author, probably better than me! It's a great slow burn Rexsoka fic that's mostly canon compliant.
OneLittleSpark18: It's great to hear that! My mom kinda bummed me out by skipping one of my Obi Wan sections, because she was desperateto get to the Rexsoka drama. Thanks so much for the constant support!
Cody Lurk: I love to hear that! You're welcome, lol!
Warriors 4 Ever2: Thanks so much! (also if you're a warrior cats fan, I'd suggest going and checking out 'Ghosts' by SugarVibes. She's my other sister/editor and she's just finished a major overhaul of her fic. It's honestly excellent, and as someone who loved the og warriors series, it's freaking better than any of the main series books)
Paladin Stormwind: I'm just following what the series established lol. Basically what happened is that Satine died, and when Obi Wan came back to Coruscant (and instead of repressing the whole thing like he did in canon), he went to Anakin and told him that some things were more important than the Jedi Order. He knows that Anakin and Padme are married and he doesn't want Anakin to go through what he did.
I'm pretty pleased with this chapter, especially after I had to majorly rewrite a whole bit of it. Warning: EXTREME SELF INDULGENCE ALERT...just because.
Mando'a translations at the end!
As usual, the clones performed their task with extreme efficiency. At the end of six hours, of the seven thousand troopers left in the legion, three thousand were staying for pay and fifteen hundred were staying for Mandalore. Around a thousand were still chipped, and the remaining fifteen hundred wanted to return to Coruscant. Gilamar was in charge of de-chipping the clones and preparing the Venators for transport. Shaak Ti and Vos were staying for the kidnapped younglings. Obi Wan and Ventress were staying for Maul. Boba was staying for Maul's bounty.
On the Mandalorian side of things, few clans opposed Bo Katan's deal with the clones. In fact, many seemed quite willing to take the clones in, whether it be through adoption or in some cases, marriage.
It had been quiet on the front for those six hours. Obi Wan guessed that Maul's forces were holing up and preparing for the siege to resume. Now that things were decided, Bo Katan's forces were doing the same.
"Are you sure about staying, Kix?" Obi Wan asked as the medic packed his kit.
Obi Wan was uncomfortable with the amount of troopers he knew that were staying. Wooley had chosen to fight, as had most of the 212th and 501st veterans within the 104th.
"If I weren't a medic, I wouldn't." Kix said. "But I know that if I don't stay, more brothers will die."
It was true, unfortunately. Kix's skills would be vital for the final siege.
"Kenobi!"
Obi Wan closed his eyes. He really missed being called 'Obi Wan.'
Obi Wan turned to face Bo Katan, who was stalking towards him with Vos, Master Ti, Koa Tes, and Ventress in tow.
"We're ending this quickly." Bo Katan said. "As our forces continue the siege, a small strike team will go after Maul. Including you."
Obi Wan frowned. He didn't like the idea of not leading his men into this final battle. And Bo Katan seemed- off. She had been willing, before, to just corner Maul by taking the city.
"What's happened?" He asked.
"Nothing-" Bo Katan started.
"Stop lying, Kryze." Ventress said. "We all can tell."
Bo Katan flushed and sent a hostile glare Ventress' way.
"I've received a transmission from Almec." She said quickly. "You were right, Kenobi. They have Kor. Maul says he's willing to negotiate for his life."
"It's a trap." Obi Wan said immediately.
"Not necessarily." Ventress said. "Maul might be feeling the pressure, and we all know his end game."
Obi Wan grimaced. He knew too well Maul's endgame.
"He's probably expecting you to give yourself up for the boy." Ventress went on. "Which, honestly, Kenobi, you would do that."
"Hopefully it won't come to that." Obi Wan said. "But Vos, Master Ti, why are you coming along?"
"We are hoping that while you are distracting Maul, we will be able to find the younglings." Master Ti said. "Koa Tes' spies have located them."
"They will be able to help you retrieve them." Koa Tes said. "From their reports, the adi'ke are well guarded, though Maul has not spent much time with them."
"Which is a relief." Master Ti said.
"If we end this now," Bo Katan said. "Less of the clones will die. Isn't that what you want, Kenobi?"
Obi Wan nodded slowly.
"Let's go then." Bo Katan said.
Obi Wan could not help but think of Satine's reaction as he and the others flew through Sundari on their LAAT/i. She would have hated the violence now happening below them. She would have hated more that her beloved nephew had been captured in a fight she thought far behind them. Obi Wan's heart twisted at the thought.
Explosions rocked the city of cubic buildings. Some of the buildings hanging from the top of the dome had fallen, fracturing the structures below. The clones had engaged the enemy below. Obi Wan did not know if their own ship was ignored on Maul's orders, or if their enemy's forces were simply distracted by the clones.
They landed on the pad in front of the Sundari Palace gates. Obi Wan shared glances with his companions. The gates were unguarded. Bo Katan led the way into the empty entrance hall. The only sound was the booming of cannons from behind them.
"Go." Obi Wan told Vos and Master Ti. "Find the younglings."
"I will lead them." Koa Tes said. "I still remember the halls of the palace."
The group of three split off, hurrying down a side chamber.
"Maul said he'd be in the Grand Salon." Bo Katan said.
Obi Wan tried not to think of the last time he had been in the Mandalorian throne room. For the first time, he let himself wonder if he was doing this for revenge, and not justice.
"I want you to remember one thing." Bo Katan said as they made their way through the eerily empty palace. "I kill Maul."
"We can flip a coin." Ventress said. "Though I do think Kenobi might have the greatest claim on him."
"Unless you want to be the ruler of Mandalore, I suggest you let me be the one to kill him." Bo Katan said flatly. "The Darksaber must be won through combat, and he who wields the Darksaber is Mand'alor."
Ventress made a disgusted noise.
"No thank you." She said. "I've had enough of Mandalorians to last me a lifetime. Your codes and honor are extremely annoying."
Obi Wan barely listened to them. Maul. The killer of his master, and then the killer of the woman he loved. Was this for revenge? Or was it because if Maul remained in power more people would suffer? Obi Wan did not know. He hoped it was the latter, because the Force whispered that this would be the last time he would face Maul. He must find his peace here.
They reached the doors. Obi Wan nodded at his companions before bursting through.
Maul lounged on the throne at the far end of the room. Kor knelt on the stairs beside him, stripped of his armor and his hands bound in front of him. The only light came from the explosions outside the geometric stained glass windows.
"Kor!" Bo Katan called, her hands on her blasters.
"Now, now, we will get to him shortly." Maul said, his eyes gleaming. "Allow me to greet you, Lady Kryze. And such a pleasant surprise, Lady Ventress."
"I wish I could say the same, Maul." Ventress said smoothly. "But I am afraid that I was very aware I was going to have the pleasure of seeing you again."
Maul chuckled.
"I should tell you, before your companions waste any more time." He said. "The younglings are gone. I would not keep my future apprentices here, in danger of being stolen."
A jolt hit Obi Wan's stomach. The younglings. Of course Maul would not keep them here. Obi Wan brought his wrist to his face.
"Master Ti, the younglings are no longer in the palace." He said. "Proceed with caution."
Then Maul turned his yellow gaze on Obi Wan.
"And- Kenobi." His voice was almost a whisper. "Once again you come to me so I may enact my revenge."
"Let the boy go, Maul." Obi Wan said. "He has nothing to do with this."
"On the contrary," Maul said. "He is more important than you or I have dreamed, Kenobi. Though, perhaps you have dreamed of it. The Force works so mysteriously."
Obi Wan tensed. Yes, he was fond of the boy, but that was no reason to kidnap Kor. Of course, it had worked. Obi Wan was here.
"Kor Kryze." Maul mused. "A misleading name, I think."
He shot out a clawed hand and Kor was lifted off the ground. Both Obi Wan and Bo Katan let out a shout, but Kor was not choking- yet. Maul ignited his lightsaber and held it to Kor's throat.
"Tell me, boy." Maul said. "Who were your parents?"
Kor struggled for a moment, eyes wide. Maul sighed and moved his saber closer.
"Tell me." He said. "Now!"
His final word was a command in the Force.
"My-my mother- was a Kryze." Kor choked out.
"Surely you can do better than that." Maul said. "With such a captive audience. Now, tell us again, who was your mother?"
Kor's eyes flicked to Bo Katan.
"S-satine Kryze."
Obi Wan sucked in a sharp breath. Satine had a child?
"Very good." Maul said. "Now, if you could be so kind as to reveal who your father is."
"We don't know!" Kor said. "My mother never told anyone. We don't know!"
But Kor's eyes had met Obi Wan's and the Force rang out with the truth. Obi Wan couldn't move.
"I can enlighten us further." Maul said. "Satine Kryze attended a conference where Jedi were acting as negotiators. Where Obi Wan Kenobi was."
Maul was staring down Obi Wan now. Obi Wan looked to Bo Katan. Instead of surprise as he expected, she looked resigned.
"Did you know?" Obi Wan asked her.
"It's not important." Bo Katan said.
"Did you know?" Obi Wan demanded.
There was a pause, Maul still staring into Obi Wan's soul.
"What was the point in telling you?" Bo Katan said. "You didn't love my sister enough to leave the Order for her, a child wasn't going to change that!"
"You didn't know that." Obi Wan whispered.
He looked back at Kor.
Kor Kryze. No, Kor Kenobi.
His son.
The boy the others called Shev, though it was not his true name, crawled through the vents of the palace. It was slow going. His helmet made it difficult to see. He wondered if he should take it off. No. He couldn't. No one could see him now, but he couldn't guarantee it would stay that way. The rule had seemed odd at first to the boy, but it was like second nature only a few months later.
He wondered when it would be okay for him to stop sneaking around. He had already found the location of the ad'ike. But he would stay until Lady Tes told him he could leave.
He heard voices and stopped.
"Orders from Lord Maul." Someone was saying. "We are to move the ad'e to a secure location."
The boy froze, heart pounding wildly in his chest. He knew these children belonged to the enemy, but Lady Tes had told him and the other spies that they were to be protected. He clutched at the small blaster he had only recently started improving with. He couldn't fight all of Maul's men, though he was willing to try.
But there was a smarter way of doing things.
The boy scuttled through the vents. He wasn't far from the room where the children were sealed in. If he could reach it before Maul's men could-
He glanced into the vent that led into the children's room. There were three: a Nautolan toddler and a Zabrack girl that looked five or six who was holding a lump of cloth that he assumed was an infant.
He kicked open the grating. The children looked over with surprise. The Nautolan began to cry.
"Shh!" The boy whispered, holding up his hands. "I'm here to help!"
He pointed to the now open vent. The Zabrack seemed to understand, grabbing the Nautolan by the hand and toddling towards the hole. The boy rushed forward to scoop the infant from the Zabrack girl. He looked down at the swaddled child in his arms, and froze.
Big brown eyes blinked at him from a wrinkled green face. Its ears were twice the length of its head. Tiny clawed hands reached up towards the boy's helmeted face.
The boy reached a finger into the infant's reach, and it grabbed him. He felt a smile spread underneath his helmet. A warmth spread in his chest. For the first time in a long time he thought of his parents, before they were taken from him.
Then the boy heard movements out in the hall. He pushed down the instinctual panic and dove for the vent, quickly pulling the grating back up to the hole once he was behind it.
He held still, clutching the infant to his chest. The other two children had frozen as the door right outside opened.
"What the-" A gruff voice said. "Where'd they go?"
The boy could see two red clad false Mandalorians burst into the room. One began to swear loudly.
The harsh voices caused the Nautolan to begin to cry again.
The boy's heart nearly stopped at the noise before he managed to grab his blaster.
"The vents!" One of the men shouted and went straight for the grate.
The boy's hands were sweating inside his gloves. This was the first time he'd be using his blaster in a real fight.
Then the men at the grate were thrown violently backwards, smashing into the opposite wall. The boy looked around wildly for the source of the attack before his eyes fell on the infant still squished against his chest. Its little claw was outstretched and its eyes were narrowed with concentration. Then it fell back, eyes closed. The boy nearly panicked again, but the baby was breathing.
What had happened? Had whatever had taken out Maul's men hurt the baby? The boy searched again, but they were alone. He looked back at his little charge.
Had such a little thing done that?
The boy calmed himself and looked back to Maul's men. They weren't moving.
"Go forward." The boy whispered to the Nautolan and Zabrack. "We have to keep moving."
The two young children sniffled, but moved forward. The boy followed, the infant still held carefully to his chest.
"Now, what should I do with the boy?" Maul mused.
Obi Wan grit his teeth. All this destruction, the torture of innocents, just to get back at him.
"Let him go, Maul." Obi Wan said. "You've killed my master and you killed Satine. Isn't it enough?"
"No!" Maul's composure broke for a moment and his yellow eyes flashed with hatred. "Tell me, Kenobi, is it more cruel to quickly kill someone? End their suffering quickly? Or to leave them alive to fester in their own pain and torment for years?"
Maul moved his blade closer to Kor.
"You have your own cruelty to blame for this, Kenobi." He said. "Every death at my hands is blood on yours."
"You think I meant to leave you alive?" Obi Wan said.
"I suffered regardless of your intentions." Maul said.
"It's pointless, Kenobi." Ventress said. "He's mad. Nothing you say will matter."
"Mad? You have not seen madness." Maul said. "But Lady Ventress is correct. You cannot move me from my path with mere words."
Obi Wan ignited his lightsaber. Kor would not suffer the same fate as his mother.
His mother. The thought surged through Obi Wan like lightning. His son. He had a son with Satine. Satine lived on in this boy. He didn't know if the idea gave him strength or weakened him.
"Enough talking." Bo Katan snarled. "Put the boy down, Maul, or you'll truly know suffering."
Maul laughed.
"Oh, Lady Kryze." He said. "You know nothing of suffering."
He moved to swing his saber. Obi Wan threw his hands out and Kor was wrenched to the side with a cry. Maul's blade missed the boy by inches. Maul turned around. His eyes were wide with rage.
"Get Kor, Bo Katan." Obi Wan ordered under his breath. "Ventress and I will distract him."
"I plan on doing more than distract, Kenobi." Ventress said.
She ignited her crimson lightsabers. No, not crimson. Her blades were a pure and distinct orange.
"Ventress-" Obi Wan started in surprise.
"Shut it, Kenobi." Ventress snapped.
She seemed embarrassed. No wonder she had used her sabers in such an odd way until now.
"I see that you are losing your connection to the Dark side, Lady Ventress." Maul said. "I had not expected you to be so weak."
"Says the man defeated by a Padawan." Ventress shot back.
She moved with her typical speed, rushing up to Maul and clashing with his saber. Obi Wan wasn't far behind. Maul moved deftly, backing away from both Obi Wan and Ventress' strikes.
"I have slain Jedi Masters!" Maul hissed.
He twirled his lightsaber, igniting the other blade in time to catch a swing from Ventress. Out of the corner of Obi Wan's eye, he saw Bo Katan helping Kor out of the room.
Maul was- sloppy. Obi Wan wondered what had happened to the keen warrior he had faced before.
"You really aren't much, are you, Maul?" Ventress taunted as she ducked under a blow. "Especially without that monster you call a brother. Where is he? Did you put him down like the animal he is?"
Obi Wan knew immediately that her words were a mistake. Maul's nostrils flared, his eyes went wide with rage. He lashed out with a kick, hitting Obi Wan squarely in the chest. It was only Ventress' blade that kept Obi Wan from being skewered.
"Do not speak of him!" Maul screamed. "You are not worthy to speak his name!"
The pure grief and pain in Maul's voice stunned Obi Wan more than the kick. Had he truly cared about his brother?
Maul had changed. His strikes were powerful and precise now. Obi Wan and Ventress were forced to dodge, to block, to parry rather than make their own attacks. Maul leapt at Obi Wan with an overhead blow. Obi Wan caught the red blade with his own, grunting as the sabers clashed. Maul bore down on Obi Wan and forced their crossed blades closer to Obi Wan's face.
Maul's features were contorted, but not just with fury. Obi Wan knew the emotion in Maul's face: the anguish of losing someone he cared about. For a moment the Force connected them and Obi Wan was overwhelmed by the strength of Maul's emotions.
"You loved him." Obi Wan hadn't meant to say the words aloud.
Maul growled and twisted away. He neatly spun under an attack from Ventress and leapt back.
"You think me a monster, incapable of caring for another!" Maul shouted. "But it is the Jedi that reject attachment and love! Wouldn't a Sith embrace it?"
Any trace of hatred bled from Obi Wan's soul. It was replaced by pity and compassion. Maul had known little love in his life. The shred he'd experienced had been torn away.
Maul didn't stay still for long. He sprinted towards Ventress. Obi Wan moved to intercept.
Maul may have deserved sympathy, but he had caused too much suffering in others and in himself. The Force called for his death, but not for revenge. To end his suffering.
Maul, Ventress, and Obi Wan clashed as one, four blades sparking together. For a moment they pressed against each other. Then Maul moved. He took one hand from his saber. Another lightsaber hilt, the Darksaber hilt, flew from his belt into his grip.
The Force coursed through Obi Wan's veins, singing. It guided him. Maul may have had the anger of the Force, but Obi Wan had its mercy.
Before Maul could ignite the Darksaber to pierce Ventress' chest, Obi Wan whipped his saber up. In a fluid moment he cut down through Maul's chest. Maul froze, a choked noise escaping his lips. His bloodshot, yellow eyes met Obi Wan's. Obi Wan shut his saber off. Maul collapsed and Obi Wan caught him. He lowered his enemy gently to the ground. Maul didn't struggle but let Obi Wan hold him. His eyes never left Obi Wan's. Then he fell still.
Obi Wan closed his eyes, determined to feel Maul's presence leave the Force. As it passed from his reach, Obi Wan got an overwhelming sense of relief. Obi Wan sighed. The tortured, twisted man was at rest.
Obi Wan looked up to see Ventress standing over them. She seemed confused.
"Well done." She said, looking down at Maul.
Obi Wan shrugged. There was no satisfaction for the kill. Only peace.
"No!"
Obi Wan and Ventress turned to see Bo Katan reentering the room. She stopped, staring at Maul's body.
"No!" She said again. "Dammit, Kenobi, I told you to let me kill him!"
The realization of what he had done hit Obi Wan. Maul had been the wielder of the Darksaber. It had now passed to Obi Wan. He was now the leader of Mandalore.
Oh, dear. Obi Wan thought.
Mando'a Translations:
ad'ike: little ones
Honestly, Maul is such fun to write, it's a shame that I murder him so quickly. Oh well.
So uh, yeah, if you didn't realize, the kid is Din. Because THE FORCE WILL BRING HIM AND GROGU TOGETHER. Honestly, I've had this extremely self indulgent scene in my head for MONTHS because I have a gosh dang problem. Whole reason I introduced the Children of the Watch, honestly. I say that he's called Shev because Din himself says no one's called him by his name since he was taken by the Mandalorians and I figured they had to call him SOMETHING. Shev is short for shev'la, silent. I figured he'd be a pretty quiet kid.
Back on the Obi Wan and Maul front, one, yeah I just stole a bunch of stuff from season 7. So sue me. Two, I hope that I captured some of the feeling behind Maul's death in Rebels. It's really just a mercy to the poor man. And I wanted Obi Wan to be at peace with it. Three, the big reveal! I just had to do it. I honestly wonder if Obi Wan would have known about Kor, if he would have stayed. (I originally had it so that Kor was conceived while Satine was on the run but apparently the timeline doesn't line up. So Satine probably went to a conference, the Jedi were there and things happened.)
Honestly, Obi Wan 'stealing' the title of Mand'alor from Bo Katan is probably the most fitting punishment for her. So she got her just desserts.
Anyway, wear your masks, remember to review, and have a great few weeks!